With the presentation of the Volkswagen Golf 8 and its respective sports variants, it remained to be seen what would happen to the peculiar sports hybrid Golf GTE. This suffered from problems in its first generation as a notable difference in performance compared to contemporary GTD and GTI. Fortunately, this problem has been solved.
The boom in the electrification of the automotive sector has been the perfect broth for a new electrified GTI to be cooked, worthy of bearing the letters that bear its name. With a differential aesthetic and greatly improved mechanics, it will be the second sports variant to be sold in Spain after gasoline, since the diesel GTD will not come.
Specific design
Visually it boasts the specific body kit of all the sports versions of the new Golf range, with a large opening in the front bumper, 18-inch wheels, heel pads and a large rear spoiler. For the GTE version, a specific rear has also been included with a more aerodynamic diffuser, with hidden exhausts.
The emblems are painted blue in allusion to the ecological side of the car, a color that is also repeated in the interior, with seams and ambient lighting of this hue. For example, tartan upholstery uses blue in its design in combination with the sober gray.
Similarly, both the infotainment system and the digital instrument panel are now decorated with blue motifs, again, to emphasize that we are dealing with a car that, in addition to being sporty, is respectful of the environment.
specs
Under the hood we find important news on a base already known that improves the performance and sportsmanship of this compact significantly. As it happened in the last generation of the Golf GTE, it has a 1.4 TSI petrol engine with four cylinders and 150 HP of power.
To this is coupled an electric motor with which the total power amounts to 245 hp, the same figure as the new Golf GTI. To get an idea, it has meant an increase of 41 CV, there is nothing. The entire mechanical assembly is supported by a 6-speed DSG automatic transmission responsible for transmitting power to the front axle.
It will not be the only sports hybrid in the Golf family. Although it will be collected under the range of the normal model, a Golf E-Hybrid with 204 CV will be marketed, which comes to fill the gap left by the previous GTE, of identical power. In addition, in our country, it benefits from label 0 of the DGT.
According to the demand, the arrival of an even more powerful version with the nickname of GTE Performance is rumored.
Electric system
As expected, the improvement of hybrid technology has been key in the step forward that this model has taken. Not only is the electric motor capable of producing more power, but the batteries allow for greater capacity without the need for larger and heavier equipment.
All in all, the set of batteries goes from 8.7 to 13 kWh of capacity, which in turn has a positive effect on the electric autonomy of the car; we must not forget that it is a plug-in hybrid. Thus, it promises a fully electric range of up to 50 kilometers.